The Forgotten Child
by Matrix of the Future
Summary: Catching Fire and Mockingjay never happened. Katniss and Peeta are married with two kids, and one on the way. They figure that they are as safe as they could possibly be, until a mysterious girl is reaped from two, and the games begin to change. I still don't own The Hunger Games, and the rating is still to be safe.
1. The Reapings

The Forgotten Child

"Hurry up, mommy!" Sterling calls from across the street.

Today is the reaping for the 103 Hunger Games, but that doesn't matter to Sterling. He is only four, not yet old enough to understand what this day means for some unlucky children. All this day means to him is that he and his sister, Sarily, get to spend the next month or more with Uncle Haymitch.

After we won the games, Peeta and I got married and had Sari and Sterling, just like the Capitol wanted us to. We did everything they wanted, being as it was the only way to protect our families. The sick, twisted irony to this is, while it protects our families, it can't protect our children. In three years Sari will be twelve, and will enter the reaping. Then in eight years, Sterling will be entered.

I place a protective hand over my stomach, where in seven months the next _victim_ will be born. Noticing this, Peeta pulls me closer to him as we head toward where Haymitch is standing.

We exchange no words as the kids run towards Haymitch, gushing over everything under the sun. He sends us a sad look as he leds the children to where the spectators watch, some undoubtedly making last minute bets on who will be reaped.

We make our way to the stage and occupy two of the four chairs. The mayor comes up next, followed by Effie, who still hasn't been upgraded to a better district.

The reaping starts off with the usual history of Panem, the games, the war. Effie then rises and make her way to the microphone, one hand on her deep red wig. I hate her wig. I never liked any of them, but I especially despise this one. It's the color of blood, a shade I know all too well.

"Hello again district 12!" Effie chirps in her all-too-peppy capitol accent. "And now for our tributes. As always, ladies first!"

Effie reaches into the glass reaping ball. Every girl-and some boys, parents, and beters- holds their breath as she pulls out the slip with one extremely unlikely childs name.

"Indesia Vaale!" she calls.

A tall, black haired girl rises from the fifteen year olds and makes her way silently to the stage. Effie then makes her way over to reap the boy, but my eyes remain focused on the girl, Indesia, as I will be her mentor.

She stares straight forward. Her hands are in fists at her sides, and although she has a strong, sturdy look about her, a lone tear makes its way down her cheek. Hopefully the sponsers will take this as her showing that she has emotions, not weakness.

"Noland Hearth!" Effie trills.

A boy with similar looks to the girl makes his way to the stage, already crying. The boy came from the twelve year olds. I see another boy in the eighteen year olds, crying harder than than the boy who was reaped. This gives me the impression that he would volunteer for the boy, if volunteers were still allowed.

The two shake hands and are usherd into the justice building to say goodbye to their familes, friends, lives. I break away from Peeta and head to the waiting train to watch the early reaping recaps-they now show them three times in the same day.

The tributes from one are both careers. Jeema and Screet Bershill. Once they are both on the stage, Jeema sends Screet a look that says, "im going to kill you." Screet sends the look back.

The reaping for two comes on next. They call up the boy first, Damion Sploy. The girl is then called up, Chardonnay Lewis. Her appearence immediately catches my eye, the dark hair and grey eyes, but I deny these. When she gets onto the stage, the boy puts his arm around her, and they intwine their fingers. Both are eighteen. A couple has been reaped, but that isn't what's making me cry. Now that the girl is turned around, I can see the last needed detail to confirm my suspicions. Pinned on the girls shirt, is my mockingjay pin.

Neither of them crys, they look strong, like, careers. They turn to enter their justice building and I turn the tv off.

I stand and begin running to i dont know where, though I doubt ill get far unable to see through my tears. I round a corner and crash into someone, Peeta. How do I tell him? I don't, I can't. I don't even know that it's her. Alot of people have the 'seam' look. There are replicas of my pin. Even the name can't confirm anything, I never knew her name. No, it's not her, she's not my daughter.

"Katniss, what's wrong? Is it the baby?" Peeta asks, begining to panic.

"No!" I say quickly, too quickly. "No, the baby's fine, it's just a mood swing." If there's one advantage pregnancy gives you, it's a cover for emotions.

"Come on," he says. "Let's go mentor. The mood swings can wait hopefully?"

I nod. He knows that wasn't a mood swing. If only it were.  
**A/N: Well, here's chapter one. Review if this made any type(hopefully positive) of impression on you. Of course, you don't have to review for me to update, it would just be nice to have the feedback on my writing. I do NOT own The Hunger Games(thus any extent of it, and we've been over this before) It may take me awhile to update this though, so be prepared. Thanks for reading, and have a good morning, afternoon, evening, midnight, 3 a.m., or whenever it is for you!-MOCKINGJAY7777/TheSpark777(fictoria-2-u) :)**


	2. Some Mentoring and a Reveal

**A/N: Well, here's chapter 2! I know it's short, and I promise I'll start making them longer, starting with the next chapter which should be up by, hopefully Saturday? Also, thank you to kitty4600 and Chloe for reviewing, and I'm glad you've liked it so far(even though it's just beginning). That's all for now, enjoy! -MOCKINGJAY7777/TheSpark777(fictoria-2-u) :)**

The Forgotten Child: Chapter 2

It's tense to say the least. Indesia and Noland stare at us, their eyes pleading. Peeta and I stare back, trying to find the best way to begin. We've done this before of course. In the years past I've begun to see why Haymitch loves his alcohol so much. Year after year, getting to know two _children_, then watching them die at the hand of yet another child. It's hard. It's complicated. It's killing me inside.

"So, your here to ease us into our deaths, huh?" Noland asks, his eyes now glued to the floor.

"No." I say sternly. They shouldn't immediately think their dead, though the odds aren't in their favor. Truthfully they're in no one's favor, as todays reapings proved...

"Then your here to help us win?" Indesia asks hopefully. Unlike Noland, she looks us in the eyes, but then quickly adverts to looking out the window.

"No, I'm afraid not." Peeta says gently. Indesia turns from her window and looks him directly in the face, and Noland raises his eyes from the floor, though he still doesn't look directly at anyone.

"Then what are you here to do?" Indesia asks harshly, tears coming to her eyes.

"We're here to help you try." Peeta says, his tone more serious than before.

_Try, _I think, conflicted. _How can I help them try and live, when my, _our, _own child will be in that exact same arena, doing the exact same thing?_

With a sigh, I add, "It's not all physical either. There is a lot of mental and emotional preparation you'll have to do before you go in, but even then you'll never be fully prepared, _never."_

_"_But you can try." Peeta says, shooting me a look. "You can try, and not give up until it's over, and it's not over until the trumpets play, and they announce a victory."

That's a lie, and Peeta knows it. It's never over if you win. It truly only ends, when your canon fires, or someone takes down the Capitol...

"What's it like? To-to kill somebody?" Noland stammers.

"It never leaves you." I say bluntly.

We eat dinner, then head in to watch the reaping recaps.

One goes by, exactly how I remember it from earlier. Two comes on next, and I watch her be reaped, take the stage, and turn to enter their justice building. The moment when I had turned the tv off earlier comes, but two's recap doesn't end just yet. Chardonnay and Damion backtrack, turn to each other, share a kiss, then with a final wave, and a "we shall prevail" from Chardonnay, they exit the stage, and the recaps move on to three.

A career. The girl who may very well be my daughter, is a career. Blood-thirsty, and victory hungry.

The rest of the recaps go by in a haze, and the next thing I'm fully aware of is Indesia and Noland saying that they were headed to bed, and Peeta saying that they'll discuss their strategies more tomorrow. Once their out of the car, he turns to me and asks, "So, what did you think of the tributes? Think they've gotta chance?"

I hesitate. Should I tell him? There's still no quarentee that Chardonnay is indeed _her,_ but even if she isn't, he'll find out eventually. I don't know how it's stayed hidden for as long as it has.

"Come on," he says as the train stops for it's usual refueling. "Let's go outside, get some air."

I nod and follow him silently. Off of the train is still the only safe place to talk. The number of bugs on the train has undoubtedly increased, and there are most likely even more at the fueling station.

We walk a few more minutes, then Peeta stops, and turns to me.

"Katniss, what was that earlier?" he asks, concern etched into his features.

"I-um," I don't know how to start. I've had eighteen years to think about what I was going to say to him, and I'm still completely unprepared.

"Katniss?" he says, clearly frustrated with my silence.

"Well, um," I start quietly. "What did you think about the girl from two?" I ask, trying to stall.

"From two?" he asks surprised. "Well, she's cocky and overconfident, she's obviously already got an angle to play the audience with," he pauses a moment, thinking. "She seems like a classic career." he finishes.

"But, didn't you notice anything, _familiar_ about her? Something you may have seen before?" I ask. If I can get him to make the connection himself, then maybe...

"I guess she _does_ look a little bit like you, but a lot of people have the seam look." he says dismissively. "Why?"

It's now or never. "Well, you see there's a chance that the girl from two, Chardonnay Lewis," I pause and take a deep breath. "Well, um, there's a slight chance that she, um, could uh, kinda be our daughter."


End file.
